Azure Flame Reloaded

The world of lost save data- where does it go?

Way back in the days of .hack//SIGN, Bear wondered if the game worlds where you lose and switch off the power actually continue somewhere, and now we must wonder the same of lost save data- do those gaming realities still exist somewhere? Are there existences where the gaming characters must continue on in their own little worlds, bereft of help from the player? If the hero character is dead, is the world of NPCs condemned to a life of oppression under the main villain? Does nothing exist until we save it, or do those worlds carry on without us even if we just reset the game? Are we being irresponsible in filling the universe with invisible gaming realities? Be sure to think of these things next time you save your game…

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Superficial reasons for watching a particular series
Much as I’d like to say that every anime I watch is picked through a rigorous series of selection tests, I have to admit that it often doesn’t work that way. Therefore, this week on Tuesday Rumble, we go behind the scenes to determine those superficial things that draw me to certain series.

• Fat cats: really, what better reason could there be to watch a series than because it has overweight felines in it? It was this that brought me to Stratos 4, and kept me going with Mai-Otome.
• Title: if the mere title of a series sounds interesting, or simply vaguely like something that I already like, I feel oddly drawn to it. Continue Reading »

The Aria Business Empire
Many have wondered exactly how President Aria made his millions, but in his inimitable fashion, he has only answered “punyu!” to the many questions directed at him. Nonetheless, Tuesday Rumble wasn’t willing to leave it at that, and so we have decided to delve into the origin and growth of what we now know as one of the universe’s most successful business empires.

Like all the best entrepreneurs, President Aria built himself up from nothing, with his dream of hitting the big time beginning in his early years. Whilst roaming the back streets of Neo Venezia, Aria dreamed of the day when he would be able to afford his own hat, and resolved to find a business partner to help him achieve this mighty dream. Continue Reading »

Naruto: Flashback Chronicles
Even though I do not watch it myself, it has come to my attention via those that do that Naruto Shippuden is more flashback-laden than the average episode of Gundam Seed Destiny. It is clear, therefore, that the time has come for the series to move to the next stage- in which it abandons all pretence at moving the story and instead dedicates itself to becoming the “Flashback Chronicles”. Here’s how things will work in the new regime.

• Each episode must begin with a 5-8 minute recap of the previous episode, and also conclude with a recap of the episode in case anyone forgets what happened.
• Flashbacks of each scene from varying points of view (i.e. negligibly different camera angles) will be heavily used. Continue Reading »

Simoun DS
As we’ve seen recently, there’s a game for everything, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have room for more. One significant omission is a Simoun game for DS, a combination of dating sim and action game. You take on the role of a young sibylla who has just been assigned to Chor Tempest; off-duty you can chat to your fellow sibylla and try to build up relationship points with them, and then when the time comes for battle, you and your chosen pair can take to the skies. Your relationship score will affect your stamina in battle, whilst special Ri Maajon moves can be drawn with the stylus, unleashing the true power of the Simoun! Does anyone have the drawing power to manage the legendary Emerald Ri Maajon? Find out when Simoun DS hits the streets! Continue Reading »

E-card: the new gaming phenomenon that’s taking over the nation
Forget Pokemon, move aside Yu-Gi-Oh!- a new card game is in town! The kids will just love E-card, a high stakes gambling game brought to you by your good friends in the yakuza! In each E-card starter set, you get a deck of cards containing Citizens, an Emperor and a Slave card, as well as special accessories to affix to your eye and ear! Gamble too much, and the pin in the accessory will penetrate the eyeball or eardrum, permanently damaging the organ. Bet against fellow players for big money, and remember- what’s a sensory organ or two amongst friends? You can play again and again and again with our special E-card sets!*

*Please wash eye and ear needles between use. Note that we cannot accept returns on used E-card sets.

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Abbreviated Tuesday Rumble this week since I had to go to Oxford for an interview.

Okami 2
As we all know by now, when I love a game, I like to suggest improvements for the nonexistent sequel, and Okami is no exception. So, without further ado, let’s imagine what we might find in Okami 2 beyond the obvious desire for it to be an immersive, beautiful and never-ending experience.

• More skins for Amaterasu, including Ninetails and Oki’s wolf form.
• Less manual backtracking and wandering around the map due to an improved teleport system that is introduced earlier in the game. Continue Reading »

Dear Azure Flame readers, it seems that a curse has come upon this blog- even before the whole domain name trouble that blighted the weekend. So many people searched for questionable search terms that I had to share them with you via Tuesday Rumble, only for me to be banished to Google Hell because of the repeated occurrence of said terms. For that reason, I shall duly censor my search terms from now on, whilst keeping them as hilarious as ever- and you perverts who searched for them in the first place can go to heck and face the fury of Santa.

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What to do whilst waiting for the next episode of Clannad

Over at Random Curiosity, many seem to be finding it hard to occupy themselves between episodes of Clannad, especially when the series takes a week off. Now, we at Azure Flame are an understanding lot (I say we, but I really mean me), and so we’ve decided to put together some suggestions as to what you can do to ease the pain of those long waits.

• Watch other anime: I’ve been reliably informed that anime series other than Clannad do, in fact, exist, and some of them are even superior to it. Watching them will surely help the time pass.
• Rewatch old episodes: If you really can’t accept the existence of those other series, then at least watch the first half of the series again…and again…and again. Continue Reading »

Extracts from the book of HARD GAY: Koutetsu Sangokushi

Part II: Shu

Liu Bei: A youthful lover, effeminate to the point that no one really knows his (or her) true gender. Despite his lack of experience, his uncertain sexuality should please those who like to experiment.

Zhuge Liang: God’s own son, a master in the bedroom. Few have seen him “tackle out”, and it will take someone very special to get the full HARD GAY treatment from him.

Guan Yu: A rough and direct lover, consumed by the Lord’s Sphere to the extent of becoming violent in the bedroom.

Zhang Fei: Similat to Guan Yu, only even more lacking in finesse. Continue Reading »